Draft-gear.



H. C. PRIEBE. DRAFT GEAR. APPLICATIQN FILED SEPT-17.1917.

Patented Ost. 29, 1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l www www H. C. FREE-BE'.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I7, 1917.

' Patented Oct. 29, 1918,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 if'rnn amarres .rayman-rr marion HERMAN CJ PRIEBE, OFCI-IICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specieationof Letters Patent.

Paten-ted Uct.. 29, 1913.

Application filed September 17, 1917. Serial 110.191,704.'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, HiiRMAN C. Permian, citizen 'of Vthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of ACook "and 'State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful- Improvement "f in DraftiG'ears',I ofA which the following` is a` full`, clear, concise,

and `exact description.

My invention relates t friction draft gears employed in the coupling'of railway vehicles and has Vfor its 'object the 4provision of improved friction producingmechanism enter#` ing into the construction of suehf-gears'. In

carrying out my invention I employ -a rotatably mountedV friction producing `,member Landfmechanism whereby .coupler movements willy cause the rotation, ofV this `friction producing member. `In the preferred embodiment of the invention there are two suchI friction produ cingmembers in frictional engage.-

ment with each otlier'andv in concentric or co-axial relation and mechanism for caus-v ing these members to rotatejin opposite di#` elements ,than wouldA be the case if but one` such rotatable friction `prodi'ieing element` were employed.`

I will-explain my invention more fully,

byfreference to the accompanying drawings showingvthe preferred embodiment thereof and inwhich Figure 1is-a bottom view, partially in section, showing a draft gear constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a view on line `2 2 of Fig.;1;

Fig. 3 is a-view similar to F 2 showing` changed positions of some of the parts; F ig.` 4 isa -view on lline 114-4 ofUFi'g.` 2; and Fig.` 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the structure, partiallyiin section and showf" `parts iin Vdisarranged-"positions for etlie.

sake ofclearness Like parts are indieatedfbysimilar"char' acters -of 'reference throughout'tle differenti' figures.

The coupler 1 includes `a shank 2 that 'is' vided infthe yoke rstructure. for the receptionl o f keys 6 and?, the openings permitting the keys" to move inwardly from outer positions of'the keysand Voutwardly from innenpol sitionsof the keys. Tlie'keys also project throughopenings 8 and 9 inthe cheek plates 10 and l1 which are secured to the'center sills 12 and 13, the openings -registering with. the openings 9 and corresponding openings in the center sills when the gear isV not under stress, the openingslflthen also registering fwith the openings V8 fand similar openings in the center sills'. A follower or memberv 61 has Va transverse opening 62'finA which the. key G'lits wherebythis key and the follower' have accompanying Y movements that are longitudinalof the gear. The inner key 324 is received withiny anl open slot in the rearfend .piece 31 that constitutes this portion of the yokea fork.l This key 32 passes through slots in the center sills and cheek plates and vis preferably incapable of material movement longitudinally ofthe gear. This fork structure is claimed inmy copending application-Serial No. 125,7 66, filed October 16, 1916 Cotter pins 11i may be employed to Vprevent the withdrawal `of the keys from the slots in the 'center sills 'that receive them.

The follower 61has an inner rounded transverse edge63, the curvature at 63 being that of a segment of a cylinder. A transverse turning element 15, in the form of a segment of a tube, has its outer face in contact with" the curved face 63of the followerl 61. This turningelement `15 has a depending lug 16 passingvlthrough an opening 17 in the bottom web `33 that is integrally formed and extends between the straps 3. When the coupler yokestructure 3, 31, 33 is pulled forwardly the web 33 presse`s upon the lug 16 and forces the segmental turning, element- 15 toturn from the idle position shown'in Fig.,2rup wardly or clockwise upon its horizontal axis that extends transversely of fthe gear, this turning element being `preventeolfrom bod# ily' risingflbyjthe motion resisting means, preferablyfspringfmechanisin, later to be set forth. Motion retarding friction will arise between` the outer face of the turning element 15 and the inner face 63 Aofthe follower 61, these lfaces ofthe turniiigeleinent and follower being of similar curvature or radii, the axes of the curvature 63 and the engaging curved face of the turning element 15 being co-incident. When the pull upon the coupler is sufficiently reduced the spring motion retarding mechanism is effective to turn the turning element 15 downwardly or counter-clockwise toward the idle position shown in Fig. 2. Upon forward pull upon. the coupler that is sufficient to turn the turning element 15 upwardly or-clockwise this turning element has its axis of rotation maintained fixed with respect to the center sills. When the coupler is subject to buffnig strains the turning element 15 will be turned upwardly or clockwise from the idle position illustrated in Fig. 2 and as this turning element turns it will be moved inwardly together with the follower 61 and the coupler structure. As the turning element 15 and the follower 61 move inwardly the yoke structure 3 remains stationary with respect to the center sills, it being understood that when the coupler moves outwardly upon pulling strains that the yoke 8 and the coupler shank 2 move together. rflie turning element 15 is desirably accompanied by an additional transverse turning element' 18 having' a portion 181 that is in the form of asegment of a cylinder whose axis is coincident with the segmental turning element 15, the exterior segmental surface at 181 of the turning element 18 engaging the interior segmental surface of the turning element 15, the engaged curved faces of the turning elements 15 and 18 and the face 63 being of similar radii and coaXial. 'I he turning members and all of the friction faces of the turning members and the faces engaged by the friction faces of the turning members are disposed transversely to the line of draft to produce friction upon any relative movement of either end member or follower toward the other, the frictionally engaged surfaces being in substantially constant engagement..

In a manner to be described, inward bodily movement of the turning element 15 will cause inward bodily movement of the turning element 18 and as the turning element 15 turns upwardly in a clockwise ldirection the turning element 18 will turn downwardly in a counter-elockwise direction whereby the frictionally engaging faces of the turning elements 15 and 18 will move in opposite directions greatly to increase their relative travel for a given movement of the coupler, an advantage that is present over an arrangement wherein the portion 181 of the turning element has direct engagement with the follower face 63. When sutiicient pulling strain is exerted upon the coupler, in addition to having the coupler yoke act upon the turning element 15 to turn4 it upwardly or clockwise, this coupler yoke also operates upon the turning element 18 to turn it downwardly or counter-clockwise, the coupler yoke applying torque to the turning elements 15 and 18 upon opposite sides of their common axis. In the construction illustrated the coupler yoke exerts turning effort upon the turning element 15 directly and upon the turning element 18 indirectly, there being a depending portionor follower 19 (of the plate 20) interposed between the inner end piece 31 of the coupler yoke and-the nose 21 of the turning element 18. rThis nose 21 is virtually a lug performing for the turning element 18 the function that the Llug 16 performs for the turning element 15. l

The plate 2O also constitutes a part of the motion resisting mechanism which I employ for checking the relative movement, longitudinally of the gear, between the outer and inner members. or followers 61, 19. This motion resisting mechanism is inclusive of vertically arranged coiled springs 22 whose upper ends engage the abutment 23 that is carried by and in fixed relation with the straps 3. The lower ends of these springs 22 engage the aforesaid plate that constitutes an abutment for the lower ends of the springs.

When the turning element 18 is moved ina counter-clockwise direction, uponsuiiicient pull upon the coupler, the nose 211 upon this turning element will press upwardly upon the plate 20 against the motion retarding force of the springs 22. As the plate 2O moves forwardly upon sufficient pull upon the coupler, the transverse wedge face 25 upon the bottom ofthe plate 20 will ride upwardly upon the transverse wedge face 26 upon the follower 61j, the portions 25, 26 eoaeting also to eect the elevation of the plate 20 against the motion retarding force of the spring 22. When the pull upon the coupler is sufficiently reduced the spring 22 will force the parts to or toward the idle position illustrated in Fig. 2. When the coupler is subj ect t0 sufiicient'pushing strains the wedge portion 26, will move beneath the wedge portion 25 andthe nose 2-1 will move upwardly against the plate 20 againstthe motion retarding force of the springs 22.

By the construction illustrated motion retarding friction is produced directly between the turning elements or rotatable friction producing members 15, 18; friction is pro-V duced between one of these turning elements and the outer follower 61; and friction is produced between the other of these turning elements and the follower 19. Motion retardingfriction is also produced between the inner vertical face ofthe follower 19 and.

the outer vertical face of the yoke portion 31.` i

lVhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but havico ing thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A draft gear including a coupler; inner and outer members actuated thereby and movable with respect to each other longitudinally of the gear; means for resisting the relative movement of said members; and two turning elements rotatable by the coupler in opposite directions, one turning element frictionally engaging one f the aforesaid members and the other turning element frictionally engaging the other of the aforesaid members, the engaging faces of one of said turning elements and one of saidv members having curvature of substantially the same radii and being substantially co-aXial, said turning elements also having frictionally engaged faces of substantially the same radii and that are substantially co-aXial with each other and with the aforesaid co-aXial faces, said turning elements and the frictionally engaged faces being transverse to the line of draft, the frictionally engaged surfaces being in substantially constant engagement.

2. A draft gear including a coupler; inner and outer members actuated thereby and movable with respect to each other longitudinally of the gear; means for resisting the relative movement of said members; and two turning elements rotatable by the coupler, one turning element frictionally engaging one of the aforesaid members and the other Copies of this patent may be obtained for turning element frictionally engaging the other of the aforesaid members, the engaging faces of one of said turning elements and one of said members having curvature of substantially the same radii and being substantially co-axial, said turning elements also having frictionally engaged faces of substantially the same radii and that are substantially co-aXial with each other and with the aforesaid co-aXial faces, said turning elements and the frictionally engaged faces being transverse to the line of draft, the frictionally engaged surfaces being in substantially constant engagement.

3. A draft gear including a coupler; inner and outer members actuated thereby and movable with respect to each other longitudinally of the gear; means for resisting the relative movement of said members; and two frictionally engaged turning elements rotatable in opposite directions by the coupler, the engaged faces of said turning elements being curved and of similar radii and substantially co-aXial, said turning elements and the frictionally engaged faces being transverse to the line of draft, the frictionally engaged surfaces being in substantially constant engagement.

ln witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this twelfth day of September, A. D., 1917.

HERMAN o. PRIEBE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente. Washington, D. C. 

